Development of a slim manipulator type fuel handling machine for a commercialized fast reactor

Chikazawa, Yoshitaka  ; Usui, Shinichi; Konomura, Mamoru; Sadahiro, Daisuke*; Tozawa, Katsuhiro*; Hori, Toru*; Toda, Mikio*; Kotake, Shoji*

A seismic analysis has been performed showing that the seismic interaction between the UIS and the FHM can be avoided adopting gapless bearings at the FHM arm joint. An angular contact ball bearing is suitable for the new FHM since it can eliminate gaps by preload pressure. A major problem of the FHM bearings is lubrication since the contact pressure between steel rings and ball increases because of ball bearing. Additionally, FHM operating temperature is about 200 deg-C and normal grease is not applicable under argon gas with sodium vapor. A endurance test with 1/10 scale bearings in the air has been performed to show applicability of angular contact ball bearings to the FHM arm joint. The results with 20,000 cycle showed that bearings with combination of MoS coating steel rings and ceramics balls can be tolerable as the FHM operating condition. A real scale bearing test in argon gas with sodium vapor has also been demonstrated to reveal bearing size and sodium vapor effects.